Angel met with Candice, Drew and Derrick's younger sister. They were having brunch outdoors, and discussing wedding plans.
"It's about time the two of you get married." Candice said. "I thought this day would never come."
Angel rolled her eyes. "Candy, hush."
"I'm just saying, you and Derrick have been together long than Drew has been married to Alex." She laughed.
"Shut up!" Angel slapped Candice's arm.
"Where's Hallie?" She asked.
"She had to work. I'm gonna meet her later." Angel answered.
"Okay," Candice pulled out a folder and opened it. "I have the photographer, the reverend for the ceremony, which will be held at Loews New Orlenas hotel at three thirty. After the ceremony, we'll ride to the boardwalk where we will get on a private boat for the reception. That will be at four thirty, so please be sure y'all get that quickie in by then or wait until after we're on the boat. You don't want to miss your own reception."
Angel rolled her eye, pressing her lips together. Candice loved making jokes about her and Derrick. "I don't know what I would do without you. You saved my life." Angel said. "How did you make those arrangements in such little time?" She asked.
"See, now you're asking too many questions." Candice took a sip of her water. "I sent the invitations to the list of names and addresses you had given me." She added.
"I don't know how you do it." Angel commented.
"It's tough being greatness."
"I should buy you a drink for all your hard work, even though I am paying you."
"Oh, no thank you. I'm can't drink." Candice paused. "I mean, I'm cutting back on my drinking." She said.
Angel narrowed her eyes at Candice. "Why?" She asked. "It's not like you're an alcoholic or anything."
Candice sighed. "I may as well tell you, maybe this will help me out a bit.."
"Tell me what?" Angel asked.
"Promise you won't tell my brothers?" She asked.
"I promise."
"I'm pregnant."
Angel's eyes grew wide and a smile formed on her face. "Oh my goodness, congrats."
Candice's expression wasn't pleasant at all. She wasn't excited as Angel was.
"That's not good?" Angel asked.
"No," Candice shook her head.
"Why not? Is it not by Sean?" Angel referred to Candice's boyfriend that she'd been with for over three years.
"It is," Candice answered, "It's just, he didn't take the news to well."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"Sean didn't want a baby and now he doesn't want me." Candice's tone was full of sadness. "He broke up with me."
"He did what?" Angel frown with anger.
"What are you going to do? Did he at least tell you that he was going to take care of the baby?" he asked.
Candice shook her head. "He wanted me to get rid of the baby."
Angel gasped. "What ?" She said loud.
"Can you keep your voice down?"
"Hell no! That fool thinks he can get you pregnant and dip!" Angel snapped.
"If I had known you were gonna react this way, I would have just told my brothers first." Candice said.
"That's just not right and I'm sure their reaction will be worse than mine. We need to tell them. Well, at least tell Derrick."
"How am I supposed to bring that up to him? Hey bro, guess what? I'm pregnant and Sean wants nothing to do with me or the baby!"
"That sarcasm doesn't help anything." Angel said. "You need to tell your brothers because that man will put you through some hell."
"I'll tell them when I'm ready to, just give me some time to deal with this for now. I have stuff that I need to figure out."
"I'm serious, Candice." Angel said in a stern tone.
Over the years, Candice and Angel grew a special bond like sisters. Candice didn't have a sister, so she looked to Angel as a big sister. Angel was four years older than her.
"Listen," Angel tone was calm, "I don't want you to be stressed out about this situation, just know that I'm here for you and I really need for you to tell your brothers. They're like the only family you have and they should know. We can help you, okay?"
Candice sat silent for a moment.
"But you can do it on your own time, just don't wait too late." She added.
"I have a question." Candice spoke.
"What is it?"
"How did you feel when you first told Drew that you were pregnant?" She asked.
Angel thought back to that moment when she found out she was pregnant with Zach. She and Drew weren't together because he was still married to LaTrice at the time. She felt a lot of disappointment being pregnant by him, let alone being involved with a married man.
"I felt stupid because he was married. It was unplanned and definitely not the right time." She answered. "And his response wasn't anything better."
"I know."
"But don't let my experience be yours. Remind that man that you have two crazy ass brothers and a crazier future sister-in-law." Both of them laughed.
"I believe that." Candice said.
"I may have calmed down over the years, but that doesn't mean that my alter ego, Thelma Gee, won't be unleashed." Angel laughed.
"You're crazy." Candice laughed. "Thelma Gee? THat's an old lady's name."
"Don't make fun of her name?" Angel said.
"Okay, I'm sorry." Candice still laughed.
Changing the subject, Candice asked, "So how are the kids?"
"They're good. Heaven and Zach staying out of trouble and JJ, well, let's just say, he's being a teenager." Angel answered. "I just sent him back with his dad."
"What did he do?" Candice asked.
"JJ and Joy decided that they were grown and went out one evening with and hang with some college kids and smoke weed, probably had a drink too." She answered with disappointment.
Candice gasped. "No that lil girl need her butt whipped. She's been a handful ever since her parents divorced."
"She was a sweet lil girl before." Angel mentioned.
"She was." Candice agreed. "Trice has been trippin too. That woman changed big time. As close as she and I used to be, since she and Drew split up I couldn't trust her but I still tried to have a friendship with her, but she's changed so much."
"She was always a crazy witch to me." Angel took a sip of her water. "Not a great example for her daughter. I've never seen someone favor one child over the other. Especially a firstborn."
"Joy has slipped away from her mother."
"More like LaTrice pushed her away." Angel added.
"That woman may be in for a rude awakening with her daughter. The one person's trust you don't want to lose is your own child." Candice said.
"You should keep that in mind since you're pregnant." Angel said.
Candice sighed. She know now that she has to keep in mind that she's pregnant and has to focus on becoming a mother.
....
"How are the wedding plans going?" Derrick asked Angel as they sat at the dinner table and ate. Heaven and Zach had already finished their dinner and were excused.
"It was good. Your sister pretty much have everything together."
"So we're still set to be married next weekend?" He asked.
"Yep!" Angel grinned.
"I can't wait." He grabbed her hand, locking his fingers with hers.
"I promise, I love you." She said. "You've been such a patient man and you deserve nothing but the best."
"That's why I have you." He flashed a smile at her. "You're the woman for me that's why I was going to wait as long as I had to. I'm never letting you go."
"You better not."
He laughed. "I won't. I just can't wait until you become my wife."
"Me either."
"You know, we never discussed our honeymoon." He mentioned.
She took a sip of her wine. "I told you, we don't have to go on a honeymoon."
"I know we don't have to. I just want us to get away from everything and enjoy our first moments as husband and wife together. It's not unusual you know."
She let out a light giggle. "I know it's not unusual, but I don't think it's a bad idea."
"So where would you like to go on your honeymoon?" He asked.
"I don't know." She shrugged.
"You do know. You may as well tell me while you have the chance."
"Umm, New York City." she said a bit uncertain.
"Woman, I'm giving you the chance to pick any place in the world for you to go and you choose, New York City? I may as well take you down Bourbon Street after midnight."
"I don't want you to think I'm being expensive or greedy or anything." She said.
"Girl, if you don't tell me where you want to go!" He laughed.
"Okay, okay! I've always wanted to go to Venica, Italy."
"I know." He grinned. "I remember you telling me years ago."
"Wow, you remember that?" She asked.
"Yep." He left her hand go and stood up. "I have a gift for you." He walked to the living room and returned to the table with a box, wrapped in red and white striped wrapping paper and sat it in front of her.
"What's this?" She asked.
"Open it and see."
She ripped the wrapping paper off of the box and then opened the box. hiding in all the white tissue paper that was inside the box were two tickets to Venice, Italy. Angel gasped.
"Oh my goodness, baby!" She squealed.
"W're going to Italy for our honeymoon." He said.
She nearly jumped out of her chair and into his arms. "I love you!"
"I love you too." He held her in his arms.
"I'm even more excited about marrying you." She said.
"I've been excited about marrying you." He said.
"I mean, I have too."
"I know."
She looked at the tickets and saw that they were leaving the day after their wedding. "Oh my goodness, we're leaving the next day. That means I have to start packing now."
He laughed. "Yea, you most definitely want to do that now because you know how you are with packing."
"Oh hush." She grabbed her plate which still a little food left on it and her wine glass.
"Better hurry and get all yo can tonight, because once I come into that bedroom, it's on." He smirked.
She gulped the rest of her wine. "Sweetie, I can postpone that packing for tomorrow if that's the case." She returned the face.
"Girl, don't you tempt me."
"You want some of this, you're gonna have to come and get it." She said. She placed her dishes in the sink and walked away.
Derrick was still close enough to her to reach her. He smacked her butt as she passed him.
"Don't get nothing started in this kitchen too soon." SHe giggled as she walked out the kitchen and he followed her to their bedroom.